EDITORIAL: Intelligence Still MIA in Iraq War

(U-WIRE) IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Two of the pivotal reasons given by the Bush administration for invading Iraq have now been cited as inaccurate by the Senate Intelligence Committee in a report released July 9 -- that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and that Saddam Hussein had ties with al Qaeda.

The chairman of the committee, Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) said that the rationale for invading Iraq was founded on assessments that were "unreasonable and largely unsupported by the available intelligence." So, as speculation continues to build that this war was unjustified from even before its initiation, we now possess solid evidence that Bush's critics have been right all along.

Casualties continue to mount on both sides since the U.S. occupation of Iraq last year, despite the president's declaration of an end to major combat more than 14 months ago. While the Bush administration continues to stand behind its rationale for the invasion, it continues to be questioned and proven fallible in its reasons for war.

It also continues to change its story, now simply citing Saddam as a bad person who needed to be removed, regardless of whether the original assertions had any merit. Saddam's ouster and subsequent capture was an unquestionable success, albeit the only noteworthy one that we have seen thus far in a conflict that has been fraught with failures. And under no circumstances can any war be condoned that was justified using inaccurate intelligence.

The Bush administration managed to convince Americans that Saddam had "some of the most lethal weapons ever devised," in addition to an alleged collaboration with al Qaeda that we now know never existed. Interestingly enough, the administration has never fully backed off either argument -- presumably hoping to stand behind both of them for as long as possible up until Election Day in an effort to appear, if nothing else, consistent in its support of falsities.

The Daily Iowan has decried the misuse of intelligence in the Iraq conflict on numerous occasions in the past. But in a unjustified war, as this one clearly was, the massive number of deaths that have accumulated, both among soldiers and innocent civilians, deserves nothing less than outrage from the American public.

Where is the accountability for this debacle? How will reparations be made, and who will be held responsible for such grossly deceptive practices against this nation and the world? Americans called to duty in the name of their country and many more innocent Iraqis are continuing to die. How can such knowledge be overlooked or accepted in light of these damning reports? Only time will tell, as many more brave soldiers and fearful civilians perish.

At best, we will receive an apology and possibly a new administration will be elected in November to try to clean up the mess. At worst, we will continue to be subject to more deceit and revision of previous arguments.